Dyeing apparatus.



D. M. HEY.

DYELNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13. 1915.

' Patented Jan. 15

1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

D. M. HEY.

DYEING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 13, 19.15.

1 ,25%,06. I Patented J an. 15, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C": 000000 170-fifi I IT'D FIQEQ DAVID M. HEY, 0F CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO VACUUM DYEING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

DYEIN G APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

Application filed December 13, 1915. Serial No. 66,503.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID M. HEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dyeing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dyeing apparatus of the circulatory type.

Practical experience with these apparatuses has disclosed that absolute regulation of the heatof the treating liquor and delicacy and uniformity of coloring has not been accurately secured and that they are not well adapted for cold vat dyeing, or bleaching or dyeing with colors, such as Wood colors, which require oxidizing.

The ultimate object of my present invention is to provide a dyeing apparatus which will overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and be fully capable of producing uniform and delicate colorings throughout the entire mass of material and capable of use with cold-vat dyes or oxidizing colors, such as wood colors, bleaching, or introducing steam in the circulation without interfering therewith.

In pursuance of this ultimate object I have provided a dyeing apparatus having various new and severally useful features whereby (a) any desired temperature of the treating liquor may be maintained, (1)) the entire mass of material may be uniformly treated, (a) there will be no tendency of the steam to collect near the bottom of the vat or to effect a back pressure within the supply pipe or to jet up through the treating liquor along the sides of the treating chamber or vat, (d) the apparatus will be fully adaptable for cold vat dyeing, (e) the apparatus will be fully adapted to bleaching and dyeing with colors requiring to be oxidized; (f) cold water, air or dye stuff may be supplied in the circulatory connections, at will, without interfering with the operation of the apparatus by stopping the circulation, and (g) the circulation may be reversed and the returned liquor deposited in the top of the vat, without passing through the heating chamber.

These several purposes are well secured by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, exemplifying what I regard to be the best form of my present invention.

In these drawings Figure 1 represents an apparatus embodymg my mvention, in side elevation, part of the treating chamber or vat and some of the pipes bemg broken away and some of the interior parts being shown in dotted lines, the valves being set for, and arrows indicating, the normal circulation of the treating liquor;

Fig. 2 represents the apparatus, with the dyeing chamber or vat, the overflow chamber, and the heating chamber shown in vertical section and the other parts in elevation, some of the parts being broken away and some shown in dotted lines, the valves being set for, and the arrows indicating the reverse circulation of the treatin liquor;

Fig. 3 represents the heating hamber in plan view, with the top removed.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views.

While I shall hereinafter particularly describe the herein exemplified form of my invention, it is to be understood that the in vention in its broader aspects is not restricted thereto.

A designates a treating vat which may be of any suitable shape, size and construction and, as usual, provided with a suitable perforated bottom plate 1 and a suitable perforated top plate 2. The bottom plate 1 is preferably arranged, as usual, above the bottom of the vat sufficiently to provide a space 3 for the incoming liquor, or for the means which supply the treating liquor to the chamber 4. This chamber is shown as formed by said perforated top and bottom plates and the side wall or walls of the vat A. The top plate 2 is adjustable to compress the material between it and the bottom plate, and is held in its adjusted position, preferably by the clamping devices 6 which have been hitherto employed for such purpose, and may be raised out of the tank, and lowered into it, by suitable hoisting apparatus such as is partially illustrated at 2 and 2", but which may be changed at will for any well known apparatus suitable for this purpose.

It will be understood that ordinarily the treating liquor is introduced under pressure into the space 3 below the bottom plate 1 and thence flows through said plate, the treating chamber, and the top plate, and flows from the space above the latter and is again returned to the space 3 for a repetition of its stated course of travel, which is kept up until the material to be dyed has been sufliciently treated.

lnthe present embodiment, I have illustrated means in the chamber 8 for distributing the treating liquor in order to prevent channeling which means comprise a head 3 with which the pipe 20 is connected, and radiating perforated arms 3, while above the head 3, communicating therewith, and projecting through plate 1 and upward into the chamber l is an inverted conical head 3 having horizontal and vertical perforations 3 whereby the liquor is evenly distributed in all directions.

The liquor flowing from the vat flows through a suitable outlet into an overflow chamber A in which is arranged a filtering medium, preferably a plurality of wire screens, A in close proximity to said outlet,.the function of said filtering medium being to arrest the overflow of foreign substances fromthe vat A.

This flow of the liquor is accomplished, as is usual in the circulatory type of dyeing apparatus,'by a suitable centrifugal pump B whose pressure side B has connection with the inlet space 3 and whose suction side 7) has connection with the portion of the dye vat A arranged above the perforated top plate These connections include what I call a heating or mixing tank or receptacle, C. The hereinafter described association of the described heating ormixing tank with the treating vat and pump, in substantially the arrangement shown, has advantages in respect to the heating of the liquor to a predetermined temperature, and its introduction into the dyeing chamber at substantially a uniform temperature, and its freedom from liability of communicating substantially varying temperature to the mass of material contained in the dyeing chamber; and, therefore, is preferred, but the invention in its broader aspects is not restricted thereto, as already stated.

The-heating or mixing tank or receptacle G is preferably open at the top and is shown as being provided with a plurality of intercommunicating chambers, as 10 and 11, preferably formed by one or more division walls or baffle plates 12 which are interposed between the inlet to and outlet from the tank and terminate above the bottom of the latter. The chamber 10 preferably has communication with the portion of the treating vat on the discharge side of the perforated top plate 2 through the overflowchamber A and by a pipe 13 which serves for the inlet of the liquor'thereto, and the chamber 11 preferably has communication with the suction opening of the pump, through suitable pipes,-as la and 15. The inlet end of the pipe 1a is preferably extended downward into the chamber 11 by means of a hood or elbow 16 secured to the inside of the wall .of said chamber. A pipe 0 leading from any lower end entered into the hood 16. It is provided with a suitable valve 0. An overflow pipe cl leads from the chamber C near its top and is provided with a cut-off valve (Z and an open lower discharge end. Suitably disposed in said tank 0 is a heating element, the one shown being formed of a coiled pipe 17 for steam or other suitable heating fluid, having apertures 170 for the emission of the heatingfluid. The preferred location of this-heating element is at the bottom of the tank below the baffle plate or division wall 12, and it preferably extends throughout the length of the opening through which the .two chambers have communi'cation with each other. As here illustrated, the heating tank is arranged to receive the overflow'from the treating vat via the overflow chamber A and the pipe 13.

It will be apparent that in the illustrated embodiment the tank C is under suction which acts to draw the liquor therethrough, said liquor entering through 'Lhe pipe 13 and leaving by way of the pipe is, and that the bafiie plate or-division wall restricts the diameterofthe 'tank or mixing receptacles 10 and 11 and forces the liquor to travel in a circuitous path to the outlet in a stream so related to'the heating element arranged in its path that it will be uniformly heated and will uniformly take up the heating fluid emitted therefrom, the arrangement being such-that the degree'ofheat imparted to the liquor issuing therefrom is readily determinable with suflicient accuracy to answer the requirements of cold vat dyeing, 2'. 0., dyeing with-liquor of a temperature substantially less thanthe boiling point, orthe imparting of delicate and uniform coloring to the material under treatment.

As already stated, the treating liquor is returned to the chamber A. In the illustrated embodimentthis return is byway of the outlet 3) from the pump,-and the pipes 18, 19 and 20, in the order named. In the space 3 of the vat Ameans'for the egress of ,7 V the heated liquor are provided. These-may be of any suitable kind, such, for example, as those nowemployed or the one illus trated in my application filed April 5, 1910, and numbered serially 553,470.

Inthe exemplified form of my invention, provision is madefor the reversal of the flow of the liquor, when desired. This-preferably consists of the pipe 21 extending from the junction of suction or return pipes 14- and 15 to the junction of pressure or supply pipes 18 and 19, and pipes 22, 23 and 24 leading from the junction of the pipe 18 with the pipe 180 leading from the pump outlet 6 to a point above the vat A passing over the top of chamber C, the end being an elbow, carrying, over the center of the plate 2, a distributing or spraying nozzle 24: which distributes the returning liquor in a manner to prevent channeling as before set forth with relation to the spraying means at the bottom of the vat. Suitable valves are provided at 25, 26 and 27 to cause the liquor to flow in either direction: that is to say, from outlet 6, through pipes 180, 18, 19 and 20 to the dyeing chamber, or from the pump outlet 6 to the upper part of the treating chamber, through pipes 180, 22, 23 and 241.

When the flow is thus reversed the heating chamber is not included in the circulation.

In order to drain the heating chamber C when desired, I provide a pipe 30 leading therefrom into pipe 19, which pipe 30 is provided with a cut-off valve 31. When this valve is open and the valves 26, 27 and K are suitably set, the contents of the heating chamber will drain through pipes 30, 18, 22 and H into a sewer, or other suitable receptacle.

In practice, with the arrangement illustrated, it is preferred to heat the liquor in the heating chamber to a slightly higher temperature than is required in dyeing, to allow for loss of heat in its travel to the chamber or vat A, and also to interpose a supplemental heating device, as the supplemental steam pipe 33, in the path of the liquor to the chamber A. This supplemental steam pipe 33 leads .from any suitable steam supply and has a branch 34- which extends to and opens into the steam pipe 17 in the chamber C. A valve 35 is provided to cut oil" the branch 34 from the pipe 33, and a valve 36 to cut on the pipe 33, when it is seen that the supplemental heat supplied therethrough is unnecessary.

It is preferred to connect the pipe 13 to the overflow chamber A which communicates, as before set forth, with the treating chamber A, which has an outlet 29 therefrom above the perforated plate 2.

It will be apparent, among other things, that the open space between the heating tank and the dyeing chamber constitutes one way by which the heating device is insulated from the treating chamber, whereby the temperature of the latter is not substantially affected by the heating means.

At 32 I have provided a supply box, being an enlargement of the pipe 21, into which enters, preferably at one side, a pipe E leading to a suitable supply of chemic, or dyestufi, and provided with a suitable valve 6, and a pipe F leading to a suitable supply -ing.

of cold water and provided with a suitable valve By means of this provision, either cold water or chemic or dyestufi, according to the class of work being done, may be added, or admitted to the treating chamber, without stopping or in anywise interfering with the circulation.

By means of the air inlet pipe 0, air may be admitted into the circulation pipe when goods are being dyed with colors which need to be oxidized. This is of great benefit in dyeing wood colors where air is necessary to develop them.

The overflow pipe 65, secured to the outside of the steam chamber is of particular benefit for rinsing the stock While bleach- As fresh water is continually added to the stock in the vat A, much dirty water and sediment is pushed up through the stock therein, which overflows to and through the overflow chamber into the steam chamber, where it rises up to the level or. this overflow pipe. By opening its valve, this dirty water and sediment is discharged, so that the rinsing water is continually cleared without stopping the pump.

By means of the pipe E, which may be connected with storage tanks for containing whatever chemic it may be desirable to use, such as different colors, these colors after using may be pumped up into their separate storage tanks without wasting the liquor.

At H is provided a pipe leading to a sewer or the like, provided at its junction with a pipe I leading to a storage tank, with a three-way valve K whereby the contents of the whole apparatus may be led to the sewer, or the contents of the storage tank led either into the apparatus, or into the sewer, or the circulating liquor into the storage tank.

It is to be understood that while I have herein set forth my invention as a dyeing apparatus, it may be used as a bleaching apparatus or for rinsing, and this and other analogous uses of the apparatus are contemplated to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having now described the invention what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a dyeing apparatus, a vat, a pump, a heating chamber, connections between the suction side of the pump and the vat, a supply box forming part of said connections, and a pipe leading into said box through which to inject dye liquor into the box.

2. In a dyeing apparatus, a vat, a pump, a heating chamber, connections between the suction side of the pump and the vat, a supply box forming part of said connections, and a pipe leading into said box through which to inject cold Water into the box.

3. In a dyeing apparatus, a vat, a pump, a heating chamber, connections from the suction side of the pump and the vat, a supply box forming part of said connections, and pipes leading into said box through which to inject dye liquor and cold water into the boX.

4. In a dyeing apparatus, a vat, a heating chamber, a pump, a connection between the Vat through the heating chamber to the suction side of the pump, an overflow pipe leading from the upper part of the heating chamber, and a valve in said overflow pipe.

5. In a dyeing apparatus, a vat,-a heating chamber, a pump, a connection from the vat through the heating chamber to the suction side of the pump, comprising a pipe leading from the heating chamber to the pump, a downwardly opening elbow on the end of said pipe Within the heating chamber and an air inlet into said elbow.

6. In a dyeing apparatus, a vat, a heating chamber, a pump, a connection from the vat through the heating chamber to the suction side of the pump, comprising a pipe leading from the steam chamber to the pump, a downwardly opening elbow on the end of said pipe within the heating chamber and an air pipe leading into the heating chamber and terminating in said elbow.

7 In a dyeing apparatus, the combination with a Vat, a pump, a heating chamber, a connection between the vat and the heating chamber into which overflow from the vat passes, a connection between the heating chamber and the suction side of the pump, a connection between the discharge side of the pump and the lower portion of the vat, a connectionbetween the discharge side of the pump and the top of the vat, a spray head carried by the last named connection and disposed above the level of the dye liquor in the vat and valves which when shifted to one position sets up a circulation through a path which includes the heating chamber and wherein the liquor enters the lower part of the vat and leaves the upper part thereof, and when shifted to another position sets up a circulation through a path which does not include theheating chamber, and wherein the liquor leaves the lower portion ofthe vat and enters the upper portion thereof through the spray head.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID M. HEY. Witnesses R. R. Mason, R. S. FAXON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. V 

